Accusativus
Accusativus
What is the Accusative Case?
In Latin, the accusative case is primarily used to indicate the direct object of a verb — that is, the person or thing that is directly affected by the action. For example, in "puella librum legit" (the girl reads the book), "librum" is in the accusative case because it is the object being read.
Forms and Endings
The accusative endings vary depending on the declension of the noun. Here is a quick overview of the singular and plural accusative endings for the five main declensions:
| Declension | Singular Accusative | Plural Accusative |
|---|---|---|
| 1st (mostly feminine) | -am | -ās |
| 2nd (masculine/neuter) | -um | -ōs (masc.), -a (neut.) |
| 3rd (masculine/feminine/neuter) | -em (masc./fem.), same as nominative (neut.) | -ēs (masc./fem.), -a/-ia (neut.) |
| 4th (masculine) | -um | -ūs |
| 5th (mostly feminine) | -em | -ēs |
Usage Notes
- The accusative is also used after many prepositions to indicate motion towards something.
- Neuter nouns have the same form in nominative and accusative.
Cultural Note
Latin was the language of the Romans, and understanding cases like the accusative helps us read their literature and inscriptions accurately. The accusative case is essential for grasping the meaning of sentences, especially since Latin word order is flexible.
Examples
- Puella videt canem. (The girl sees the dog.)
- Marcus amat puellam. (Marcus loves the girl.)
- Puer librum legit. (The boy reads the book.)
Let's practice recognizing and using the accusative case!
This table gives the common patterns. Fourth-declension neuters such as cornu have accusative singular -u and plural -ua. Some third-declension nouns have accusative singular -im. Prepositions must be learned with their case: in + accusative marks a destination, but in + ablative marks location.
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